[Open Intro] a pirate's life for me

[captainkurusu]

I. In the Velvet Room

The sight of an Akira in a long black coat and a high-necked gray vest is no rarity around these parts, but the one currently studying the conspiracy board is different. He has gold earrings, for one thing, and his clothes have a different style: hand-sewn wool and linen, not the slick, modern leather of Metaverse garb. His casual, hands-in-pockets slouch as he studies the conspiracy board, however, should look familiar to almost anyone.

Well. Anyone who knows an Akiren, anyway.

At the sound of anyone approaching him, Captain Akira turns sharply, his right hand flying to the hilt of the cutlass hanging from his belt. Depending on who he sees, he’ll say one of the following things:

If the character approaching him is an Akiren, his eyes widen briefly in surprise. Then he puts his hands on his hips, studying his double with interest. “You look oddly familiar, somehow,” he quips. “I’m afraid I can’t place you, though.”

If the character approaching him is an Akechi, the choked syllable “Go–” escapes him before he can stop it. Then he cuts himself off, smiling in apology. “Excuse me. I mistook you for someone else.”

If the character approaching him is anyone else, he nods a polite greeting and points at the conspiracy board. “Did you write this?” he asks cheerfully. “ ‘For mine own part, it is Greek to me.’ ”

Whether the character he addresses recognizes the quote or not, Akira’s puzzled expression translates its meaning clearly: Hey. What the hell is this?

II. In Tokyo

Tokyo is the last place Akira ought to set foot in--so of course, it’s the first place he does. To his disappointment, the city beyond the door is all but unrecognizable, full of bright lights and strange buildings and marvels Akira can’t begin to puzzle out. Even so, a vague familiarity remains, an instinct leading him deeper and deeper into the urban sprawl.

Any character passing through Shibuya can find Akira just off of Center Street, standing outside the door to Untouchable with a bemused expression on his face. He runs a hand through his messy hair and sighs, turning to smile at whoever is watching him.

“This place has changed a great deal since I saw it last,” he jokes. “Then again, I was a bit preoccupied the last time I was here.”

Comments

[willowandoak]

"Yep." He lets the p pop. "The Diet Building—uhh, the building where lawmakers meet. Statesmen." He scowls for a second. "It's a ship, and Shido's the captain who's steering it. You get in the Palace, and the fucking thing is sailing over the ruins of Japan. That's why it's called the Ark of the Elite. Because all the fancy rich motherfuckers who lick his boots get to be on it while the rest of us drown."

[captainkurusu]

"How ironic." His humor is a cutlass now, with an edge sharp enough to cut. "Your Shido is a daimyo who fancies himself a captain, and mine is the other way around."

The daimyo or the captain. I wonder which version would be worse.

"It may please you to know that mine no longer has a ship. My crew saw to that the last time he tried to kill me. No doubt the Company will give him a replacement, but for now, he's an impotent dogfucker's cock. Which is better than nothing, I suppose."

[willowandoak]

It does please Ren. He grins, eyes glinting.

"Too bad they couldn't drown him. When I get home, I'm gonna take care of Shido's Palace, too. I hope it fucking explodes." Since someone won't let him just kill Shido and be done with it.

The last time he tried to kill me, though. That's Ren's future, if he and Goro can't pull off their plan when they get home.

[captainkurusu]

"I hope so, too. I wasn't able to help detonate the damned tub myself, but watching it go up in flames is a memory I'll cherish to the grave."

Akira grins back. "I haven't given up hope on killing him, either. I found him once; I can find him again, this time with better preparation."

And without Goro standing in the fucking way. Not that he's bitter about that, or anything. It's fine. Water under the brig.

[willowandoak]

"I wanted to kill him," he says, since it seems like Kurusu will get it. "I was gonna kill him. I had a plan and everything. But my Goro is being all, 'Nooo, Ren, Phantom Thieves don't kill, we have to change his heart.' " He wrinkles his nose.

[captainkurusu]

Akira grimaces in sympathy. "He's what stopped me too, actually. Different reasoning, and a very different approach, but...well. Damned inconvenient, all the same."

...Maybe he is a little bitter. Ah, well. He'll get over it.

"Do you have any confidence in his plan?"

[willowandoak]

"Yeah," he says with a sigh. "We can change Shido's heart no problem, to be honest. The hard part is making sure he doesn't get assassinated beforehand. ...Goro, not Shido. I fucking wish someone would assassinate Shido. Back-alley dumpster ooze-looking motherfucker. Leaves a puddle of grease in every chair he sits in. ...But I think we've sorted out how to keep Goro safe."

He'll just skip over the part where he was meant to be Goro's assassin. Yeah.

[captainkurusu]

Fair enough. Akira's skipping over plenty of details himself. He chuckles at the description of Shido, swallowing down an uncharacteristic flash of envy.

"He's putting his own life in danger to protect Shido's, hm? How noble of him." This isn't a compliment. There's no particular venom in the comment, though. "Personally, I'm shocked the malodorous son of a bitch even has a heart to change. But if the plan is sound and the danger manageable, keeping Goro on board is probably worth the compromise."

[willowandoak]

It's more complicated than Ren has made it sound, to be honest. That's not Goro's main motivation, and Ren is balancing a lot more variables than just the two Kurusu has brought up. Instead of explaining it all to some guy he's just met, he squints for a second, puzzling over the word malodorous until it comes apart in his mind. His expression clears. Bad odor. Shido reeks. They would fucking say it like that two hundred years ago.

"You can change anyone's heart, unless they have a Persona," he says. "You just gotta be able to get to their Shadow. Which is kinda dicey lately, back home, but you could, in theory. Anyone with a Palace, you can definitely get them. Shido's an easy target."

The Phantom Thieves might not see Shido that way. But they're not strong fighters, except for Goro, now that he's had time here to train. And they haven't been putting up with all the bullshit in Mementos that Ren's had to deal with.